PROFITABLE FRUIT-GROWING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13452, 31 May 1907, Page 3

PROFITABLE FRUIT-GROWING.

THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL FER- ; TILISERS. UNDER 'the allspices of the Birkenhead and Northcote Fruitgrowers' Association a lecture was delivered on Wednesday evening in the Zion Hall, Birkenhead, by Mr. J. Montgomeri© Hattrick, F.H.A.S., N.D.A., formerly of the West of Scotland Agricultural College, Glasgow, on "The Us® and Purchase of Artifiei&l "Fertilisers. The chair was occupied by Mr. W. Charman, president of the- association. Mr. Hattrick stated that the uSjx of . artificial' fertilisers in fruitgrowing waS "fast becoming quite as universal aS it had already become in farm practice. That , artificial fertilisers judiciously used returned very handsome profits there could be ino possible doubt. In ordinary farm pracj tico returns of from 200 to 300 per cent. on the original expenditure were common. In fruitgrowing the returns, especially from- 1 rationally compounded mixtures, were enormously greater, and the lecturer instanced! one case which had come within his own) experience in which an outlay of 13s 6cl brought a return of over £40 sterling.. By mentis pf an interesting diagram Mr. Hattriok'ifihbwed- his audience' the proportions of t-h<S|#vluable plant constituents contained in 'im frfeifleial • fertilisers in Common -use, and at the same time he explained the chief characteristics of these fertilisers, their solubility, their behaviour in the soil, their effects upon the plant, and their compatability.\The.speaker,recommended for strawberries a. manure made .up as ' follows — Bonedust 3cwt, superphosphate 3cwt, sulphate of potash 2cwt, sulphate of ammonia lewt per acre. Mr. Hattrick answered 1 several questions at the conclusion of his address, and was accorded a hearty veto of thanks.